State of play: Retiring Dem senator's daughter holds slight lead in closely watched race

Two candidates - Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Maura Sullivan, an Obama-era official - remained locked in a Democratic primary race early Wednesday morning in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District.

The contested race remains too close to call as both Shaheen and Sullivan, the two frontrunners, vie for a chance to keep the district under Democratic control as its incumbent, Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., pursues higher office.

Pappas, who has represented the district since 2019, announced a bid for the U.S. Senate last year.

Although Sullivan raised more financial support, it was Shaheen who led the race for much of the night, closing out Tuesday evening with a roughly 2% lead.

But Shaheen also enjoyed the backing of her mother, who endorsed her last year.

"She's working hard to earn voters' support in her own right and on her own merits - and I couldn't be prouder to support her candidacy."

Shaheen emphasized priorities like Medicare for All, expanding tax breaks for first-time homebuyers and overhauling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Sullivan, for her own part, pitched herself as an experienced veteran. On her campaign website, she highlighted her military service in the Marines, her work with the Obama administration in 2014 as an assistant secretary at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and her leadership as a private sector health technology executive.

"I joined the Obama administration. I was proud to work on matters of national security, healthcare and reform to help fellow military families like mine," Sullivan said in a campaign video.

Sullivan's platform includes cracking down on what she described as price gouging, bolstering the VA, opposing Trump's tariffs and increasing federal investments in housing development.

In remarks late on Tuesday, Sullivan told her supporters the campaign was far from over.